Pakistan calls for urgent measures as heatwave toll nears 700

[muriel_volestrangler]

Source: BBC

Pakistan's prime minister called for emergency measures as the death toll from a heatwave in southern Sindh province reached nearly 700.

The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said it had received orders from Nawaz Sharif to take immediate action.
...
Health officials say many deaths have been in the largest city, Karachi, which has experienced temperatures as high as 45C (113F) in recent days.

Sindh province Health Secretary Saeed Mangnejo said that 612 people had died in the city's main government-run hospitals during the past four days. Another 80 are reported to have died in private hospitals.



Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-33236067

[Divernan]

1. Power outages/cuts (no fans/air-conditioning) exacerbate problems

Many of the victims are elderly people from low-income families. Thousands more people are being treated, and some of them are in serious condition.

Hot weather is not unusual during summer months in Pakistan, but prolonged power cuts seem to have made matters worse, the BBC's Shahzeb Jillani reports.

Sporadic angry protests have taken place in parts of Karachi, with some people blaming the government and Karachi's main power utility, K-Electric, for failing to avoid deaths, our correspondent adds.

The prime minister had announced that there would be no electricity cuts but outages have increased since the start of Ramadan, he reports.

When comparing climate risks in different parts of the U.S., I have advocated for years that if one lives in the North, and has a power outage, one can bundle up with layers of clothing against the cold. By comparison, in the south, which is experiencing a brutal heatwave expected to last through the end of the week, if the power fails, there are no fans or air conditioning to be had, and heat stroke follows. I have relatives and friends who retired to northern Florida/Amelia Island, and also Tampa. All this week, the heat index is above 100 for 6 or more hours every day.
Today: 11am 12pm 1pm 2pm 3pm 4pm 5pm 6pm

T-storms
Temp (°F) 87° 89° 92° 94° 95° 94° 89° 87°
RealFeel® 107° 110° 112° 109° 109° 105°
Tomorrow's heat index prediction 111 degrees; Thursday, 108 degrees

Meanwhile, in Tampa, (The following numbers are the "real feel"/heat index)
Tampa -today 113; tomorrow 120 degrees; Thursday - 121 degrees

I lived in central Florida for several years when I was in my 20's - summers were brutally hot, and only survivable by having air conditioned homes, cars, stores. My point is that given a major power outage, we could have tragedies similar to Pakistan's.

[cosmicone]

2. Pakistan should spend money on airconditioners rather than

outfitting jihadis to commit terrorist acts in India.

[muriel_volestrangler]

3. So you blame the victim when it's Pakistan, but not when it's India

I didn't see you moaning that India should have bought its whole population air conditioners and the infrastructure to run them all, and contributed to global warming, in the threads about the Indian heatwave, rather than, say, sending rockets into space. But here you are, saying that Pakistan should be a fully developed country, adding to global warming, so that it could alleviate the effects of global warming on itself.

[cosmicone]

4. Sending rockets into space is a legitimate economic activity

that creates technology and jobs in India. forming, training, arming and supporting terrorists is not a legitimate economic activity that advances the economy of Pakistan.

Read my post again ... and again if you don't see the difference.

Let's face it, Pakistan is a terrorist state and it will never get out of its misery unless and until it gives up its terrorist activity and obsession with competing with India. India has left Pakistan so far behind in economy and technology that it is ludicrous for Pakistan to even try to equate with India. It is similar to Mexico trying to claim it is equal to the USA. In its obsession, Pakistan has become a beggar to the USA and China while leaving the people radicalized and economically unfruitful because most of them train in Madrassahs.

I am not arguing that both countries should spend more on development but India is already doing it.

[samsingh]

5. agreed